Cow manure in our water is a growing concern. . . Learn more:

Farmers that raise livestock end up with a lot of manure, which they often spread on their fields as fertilizer. But in some cases, there’s just too much manure.

“There’s so much built up on the ground that it runs off the surface, and it comes out of pipes that go into ditches that empty into our rivers and lakes,” says Adam Rissien of the Ohio Environmental Council.

He says in water, the same nutrients that help crops grow, increase the growth of algae.

“Toxic algae is going to continue to plague Lake Erie and threaten our drinking water until we get serious about addressing its causes,” he explains.

Rissien says more regulations are needed to limit the amount of manure that can be spread on fields.